Rick Morrissey writes on Chicago Tribune, saying that Boycotts don’t seem to accomplish much when it comes to the Olympics.
The rumble of protest is growing louder. Outrage over China’s treatment of Tibetans has led to calls for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics.
There are all sorts of reasons not to stage a boycott of the 2008 Games, many of them thoughtful. Two immediately come to mind: The Olympics are supposed to be beyond the reach of politics, and athletes don’t deserve to be punished for international conflicts.
The Soviets responded to our 1980 boycott by boycotting the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, and it’s almost impossible to find anyone who believes the dueling boycotts did anything other than hurt the athletes who weren’t allowed to compete.
Read Reuters’ report: Amnesty lays into China on rights before Olympics, which says, “The Olympics have so far failed to catalyze reform in China and pledges to improve human rights before the Games look disingenuous after a string of violations in Beijing and a crackdown in Tibet.”
See also AP’s Video: Olympic Torch Given to Chinese Amid Protests
